274 
SAVAGE SUDAN 
through Egypt, following the Nile all the way from Cairo, 
or alternatively (occupying a few more days) by way of 
Suez and the Red Sea. 
At present steam-communication stops at Rejaf, but 
it won’t stop there long. So soon as steam-connection 
shall have been carried on to the Victoria Nyanza, the 
traveller will be able to complete the round-trip up the 
Nile from mouth to source, and thence by the Uganda 
railway to the Indian Ocean at Mombasa. At present 
there remains a trifling gap of ioo miles. 
But such a tourist will surely not be justified in 
describing his luxurious progress as: — “Thrilling ex¬ 
periences on an adventurous journey of exploration; 
Through the big-game country from the Cape to Cairo.” 
Thus, nevertheless, a fellow-passenger whom we met on 
a Nile steamer (to all appearance quite innocuous) 
recorded the exploit of a voyage by steam around the 
Continent, with a short cut across this corner of it! 
As recorded, we met with elephants both to the north 
of the Sudd and also at one point in the Sudd itself. 
Such occurrences, however, are exceptional; but once 
the traveller has emerged from those hideous wastes 
the spectacle of elephant - herds may fairly be described 
as an everyday incident, and a few typical instances 
may be related. Some day, perchance, these records may 
have a historic value; since it is conceivable that sights 
such as these—nowadays witnessed almost daily—will, 
as the years pass by, become hardly credible on the 
very banks of the most important navigable waterway of 
Africa. The recent story of the Sudan and its development 
since this century opened, are among the romances of my 
lifetime. For I can recall Baker’s days among early 
memories, and while I write (April, 1913) the British 
Government have guaranteed a three-million loan for 
cotton-growing. 1 For the moment the project is con- 
1 This reads like ancient history to-day—1921 ; while correcting these 
proof-sheets, I note that yet further millions are being guaranteed ! 
